Voyage of Bugaboo — 2006
On June 16, 2006, John Van Slyke Jr. will skipper his 34 foot sloop, Bugaboo, with the fleet of the 100th anniversary running of the 100th anniversary running of the Newport to Bermuda race.
The passage will be made from Newport, Rhode Island to the Island of Bermuda. The trip from Newport to Bermuda requires sailing 635 miles of open ocean, and it involves crossing the Gulf Stream.
Depending on winds, currents, and sea conditions, each leg of the passage will require from 5 to 6 days.
Crossing the Gulf Stream makes the passage from Newport and Bermuda among the most interesting and challenging in all of off shore sailing for skippers, navigators, and crew members.
During this time, John and anyone else on board Bugaboo will be exposed to the sun and reflection from the sea during daylight hours. This time of year, days are the longest in the northern hemisphere.
Of necessity, sun screen and other forms of common sense protection must be a priority.
Objectives of this voyage
Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention Among Sailors
This passage will be made for the purpose of encouraging all skippers and crews in the Newport to Bermuda yacht race and mariners, sailors, and boaters around the world improve their awareness of the urgent need to be proactive and diligent in reducing risk factors related to exposure the sun.
Support for Our Soul Mate, Barry Potter
Men do not come any better than Barry Potter, who is currently battling Stage VI melanomain an experimental treatment program at the Beth Israel hospital in Boston. On our passage from Newport to Bermuda in 2006, Barry will be present in spirit just as he was in the flesh during a previous trip on the Marblehead to Halifax race shown below:
Financial support and contributions
The Voyage of Bugaboo is a 100 percent privately financed, not for profit, pro bono project.
Please make whatever financial contributions you can afford payable to some world class skin cancer research and treatment institution such as the Harvard Medical School, the Beth Israel Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and the Dana Farber Cancer Istitute, or the Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute in New York.
Alternatively, you might consider providing financial support to any legitimate organization that is advancing skin cancer awareness and prevention.
Most Recent Position Report
Click here to view the most recent position report for Bugaboo.
This report is transmitted automatically from a SkyMate system onboard the vessel (see www.skymate.com for details).
Blog and Comments from the Crew
Left to right: Tom Van Slyke and John Van Slyke Jr.
Click here to access the blog created by the crew onboard Bugaboo.
List of Suppliers
